A rude awakening
by The writer333
Summary: My first fan fiction. Vilkyrie pairing. AU What happens when Lord Vile falls for Valkyrie.
1. Chapter 1

** In a world where Skulduggery isn't Lord Vile, Tanith isn't possessed by a Remnant, Valkyrie isn't Darquesse, Valkyrie's 24, and, more importantly a world where Lord Vile falls for Valkyrie. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own rights to any of these characters.**

** Mortal coil-**

Valkyrie's face contorted in pain as Fletcher, or the Remnant inside Fletcher, delivered another bone-cracking kick to her ribs. He kicked her again then stood over her.

"You know, I love you, but this Remnant's opened my eyes, you don't really love me, you keep me around because I'm useful." He said, stamping on her stomach.

Valkyrie moaned, the pain was unbearable. She would've beat the shit out of him if he said she didn't love him, but she was in too much pain to do anything but fight the darkness creeping into her vision.

He stamped on her stomach yet again and stepped back as she convulsed, coughing up blood.

He teleported away, only for a second, coming back with an axe. "I'm going to kill you, then Skulduggery, then Ghastly, Tanith, then your whole family."

He dragged the axe along the cold concrete, sparks flying, slowly making his way over to her curled up form. He nudged her with his foot, raised the axe and…..

He smashed into the far wall, sinking down it, landing heavily on his side. As he stood a wave of shadow crashed into his chest. Fletcher crawled along the floor, trying to rid the wave of dizziness so he could teleport.

Whoever had hit him was in front of him in the blink of an eye lifting him clear of the ground before slamming him down onto his knee. Once, twice, three times before dropping him to the floor.

Fletcher moaned and looked up to see the bottom of a black boot sail towards him, moments before it hit him in the centre of his face, throwing his head back, making it hit the floor with a sickening crack.

Valkyrie was puzzled, why Fletcher was not chopping her like a block of wood was still a mystery. She was scared, where was she? Then it came back to her, the unknown person who had so blatantly saved her life. Who had it been? She sat up slowly recalling the small fight, in which this unknown person had kicked the crap out of Remnant Fletcher.

It wasn't Skulduggery. For this new person was faster than him, faster than anyone she had fought, faster than Vengeous, Serpine, Murder Rose, Jaron Gallows, Gruesome Krav, even Dusk.

She felt cold gloved hands hauling her to her feet. She looked up to thank this person and froze. The person who stood before her was a demon, a ghost, a dead man, a man who was spoke of with pure hatred and distaste, the man who saved her life. _Lord Vile._

She recoiled from his touch, backing away. She cursed as she tripped over her left foot. Vile's shadows quickly formed behind her, saving her from hitting the floor.

He was watching her with mild curiosity. He could sense the fear radiating from her. He was confused, why was she backing away from him, he had saved her life. His gaze followed her as she backed herself against the wall, wide-eyed.

Valkyrie was terrified, scratch that petrified. She wasn't in a good condition to fight, Fletcher had taken her jacket, and there was a pounding in her head that refused to retreat, she couldn't even run, let alone fight. Contemplating her options she didn't notice that Vile had moved and now was now stood directly in front of her, hand held out, grasping her jacket.

His head was cocked sideways, she reached out grabbed her jacket and quickly pulling it back, mumbling a thanks. As she slipped on her jacket she noticed that Vile's gaze was still fixed on her.

She looked up. The look he was giving her was not off hate, it was adoration, softness and love.

She remembered the stories of how Vile had slain thousands of sorcerers with barely a flick of his hand as he quickly closed the distance between them.

She remembered the raw power that Vile's armour as she felt his arms snake round her waist, pulling her against him.

Remembered how the shadows had smashed into Fletcher as the mask around his mouth retracted, and he dipped his head down so he was centimetres from her face.

Remembered how he had saved as her life, how he had fought for her as he kissed her.

She forgot about Fletcher, forgot about everything as she wrapped her arms round his neck, deepening the kiss.

The armour he donned, the black as night armour should have been cold and hard, yet it was warm and soft. What was she doing? She tried to avoid the very obvious fact that Vile's hands were on her waist, slowly making their way down her body.

The moment was shattered by the unmistakeable click of the hammer of a revolver. Vile pulled away from her, looking at someone past her. She slowly turned round and shrank back against Vile's chest. It was Skulduggery, gun pointed at Vile.

"Valkyrie, move." His voice was cold, devoid of emotion.

She stayed, frozen next to Vile, who had his arm draped protectively over her shoulder.

"Valkyrie move, now." Anger lacing his voice.

Vile nudged her towards Skulduggery. She wordlessly made her way to Skulduggery's side. Trying to avoid Vile's gaze of desire that followed her. When she reached his side she turned to look at the sorcerer who had killed many men, haunted dreams, and the man who had done unspeakable things, the man who loved her. _Lord Vile_.

One long, last, lingering look at Valkyrie and Vile disappeared. Skulduggery holstered his gun and turned to look at Valkyrie who was looking at the floor.

"What were you thinking?" He asked, she still was not meeting his gaze.

"Lord Vile is a murderer, a monster. He killed thousands of sorcerers, friends. So I ask you again, what were you thinking?" He continued.

"I wasn't." She mumbled.

Seeing how Skulduggery was Skulduggery he decided not to push it further. "So he saved your life." She just nodded.

"Well, to the Bentley then." He said.

"Yeah, to the Bentley." She muttered, thinking how good it felt to kiss Vile


	2. Chapter 2

**The Death Bringer- **

Valkyrie stumbled to the side as she narrowly avoided another sharp shadow that Melancholia had thrown her way. This crazy bitch was going to kill her, as soon as she could hit her that is.

"Stay still you brat."

"Not bloody likely." Valkyrie shouted back, throwing a fistful of shadow at her that Melancholia easily deflected.

Valkyrie stumbled into the path of a sharpened shadow which opened her thigh, she screamed and fell. Melancholia smiled and sent another shadow at her, this one spearing through her ankle, anchoring her to the ground. Melancholia clearly revelled in her cry of pain, like it was music to her ears.

Valkyrie knew she was going to die, Melancholia had made that quite clear, and from the way her shadows were darting around… it wasn't going to be pretty.

She tried to think of anything to take her mind off the pain. She focused hard on her family, Skulduggery, Ghastly, Tanith, Fletcher… but all she could think of was him.

How he'd nearly killed Fletcher to save her. How he pulled her against him, almost possessively. How he surprised her with a kiss. How she responded, hooking her arms round his neck, encouraging his advances. The thing she remembered the most though was the icy cold of his hands on her skin.

As Melancholia threw another sharpened shadow through her knee she cried out for him.

Valkyrie noticed the confusion that played across Melancholia's features.

Valkyrie writhed around the shadows that were holding her in place. "Vile, please…"

Melancholia, almost lazily, threw another sharpened shadow down at her, this one piercing her other knee.

The pain…it was worse than when Serpine was torturing her.

"Interesting that you beg for the help of a dead man, a man who died during the war, a man you never met."

Valkyrie ignored her and begged for him again. "Vile, please, help me, save me, I need you."

"I'm going to make you beg for your life," Melamcholia said. "But not to a ghost - to me!" Melancholia firing a sharpened shadow at Valkyrie, but frowned when the shadow exploded before striking.

Confused, Melancholia looked around, then fired another shadow at Valkyrie, which, instead of exploding, fired back and Melancholia yelped, quickly side-stepping the shadow.

"How..how are you doingthat?" She screamed down at Valkyrie, who fought for a grimace.

"You're in trouble."

Melancholia wasn't smiling anymore, she was looking around when a shadow emerged from the dark and slammed into her chest, sending her sailing her through the air. She was on her feet almost as quickly as she had fallen, and fired a round of several sharpened shadows into the night. They were answered by a wave of swift shadows that put Melancholia onto her back.

"Who are you?" She screamed.

A curtain of darkness opened and Lord Vile stepped into the light. Melancholia crawled back, whimpering. "You're dead, you can't be here, your dead!" She shouted.

Lord Vile walked straight past her, ignoring her. He sank to his haunches beside Valkyrie and lifted her like she weighed nothing at all.

Melancholia looked up in time to see Vile step over her, Valkyrie in his arms.

"You are a coward, Vile. Stand and fight!" She screamed, rolling onto her side.

Carrying Valkyrie in his arms, Vile shadow-walked away.

Valkyrie woke 2 hours later to the sight of a jagged, stony ceiling. She sat up slowly, fighting the wave of dizziness which threatened to topple her at any moment. She scanned the dark cave and noticed that Vile was watching her with an unfaltering gaze.

"Thank you." She said. "I think…"

He continued to stare at her.

She let out a short, nervous, laugh. "And, you know, for last time as well."

He kept his gaze on her before looking down.

She sat up, examining her ruined jeans, running her fingers along the gashes that gave way to the unmarked skin of her legs. He had actually healed her, a counterpoint to his usual talent as a destroyer.

When she looked up he was at the mouth of the cave, looking out at the black sky, not a star in sight. She pushed up off the smooth rock she was led on and made her way over the uneven floor to where he was stood.

She gazed out over the rocky mountain region that they were in. "You know every Sanctuary in Europe's looking for you."

He stayed silent.

"Why save me?" She asked.

He turned to her, the look he was giving her was piercing and enigmatic. He took a breath, but said nothing. Twin lights in the distance glinted against his armour, drawing his attention away from her.

In the blink of an eye he was gone, leaving her stood in the mouth of the cave alone and confused. In less than five minutes the twin lights were at the cave; they belonged to Skulduggery's Bentley.

Skulduggery climbed out of the Bentley, walking slowly round he yanked the passenger door open, staring long and hard at her. "Get in." He growled.


	3. Chapter 3

**The argument**

She climbed into the Bentley, yanking the door shut. She watched in silence as Skulduggery rounded the front of the Bentley and climbed into the driver's seat.

"How did you find me?" She asked, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"I was looking for Vile, found you instead." He answered steely.

"Oh." She said.

He gave her what she guessed would be a raised eyebrow expression, if he had a face. "Oh, is that all you say."

"What do you want me to say?" She asked, her voice raised slightly.

"I want you to tell me what the hell is going on." He replied, his voice bordering a shout.

"Nothing is going on. Except the fact that Vile saved me, again." She shouted.

"He's a murderer." He shouted back.

"That was war, it was kill or be killed, I remember you telling me, so why does it only apply to the victor."

"Are you saying it was alright for Vile to walk onto a battlefield and kill everyone? Even the ones who surrendered, or begged for mercy? Vile didn't follow the same rules, to him war was an excuse to kill."

"Maybe he's changed." She yelled.

"Valkyrie, have you gone insane. Can't you see he's using you?" He shouted back.

"Why would he? All he's done is save my life, twice. He hasn't killed anyone. Recently."

"Maybe he wants you to think he's not a bad guy, but, he is. He ripped my friends apart, torn them limb from limb and you think he's not a 'bad guy'."

"I'm sick of this. He has changed, he didn't have to save me. But he did."

"Valkyrie how about you explain to the elders why we shouldn't go after Vile, explain to the family's he ruined why we're not pursuing him, explain to your Uncle why we aren't going after him, and explain to Tanith why we shouldn't go after Vile." He said, his voice calmer, still with a hint of menace.

"It's just that… that."

Skulduggery tilted his head. "Is Valkyrie Cain lost for words?" His voice lacked the humour the question desperately needed.

"I can't explain…it's complicated."

"Try me."

"It's just that when we were in that cave he seemed to be struggling with something. I'm just not sure what."

"I see." He said.

"Can you drop me off at Gordon's? I need to think."

Two hours later Skulduggery pulled up the drive to the big house, the rain punishing the house, the violent wind slamming into the sides. Valkyrie jumped out, narrowly avoiding a huge puddle. Skulduggery sped off without another word.

She let herself in, battling the wind to open the door, squeezing through, yelping when it slammed back on her. She cursed the rain, which was now cascading down against the huge windows that overlooked the vast forest outside.

She made her way to the overly-furnished living room and flopped onto the cow-hide couch, her head falling into her hands. What was she going to do? What had she done?

She looked up, screamed, and jumped back, flipping over the back of the couch, landing heavily on her side.

Vile was stood across the room, looking at her, yet again.

She stood, wide-eyed and staring. "Jesus, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Ever thought about investing in a bell, or telling people you're in their house."

He made his way to the couch, stopping at the other side. His gaze still fixed on her.

"What do you want from me?"

He merely tilted his head at the question.

"I had an interesting, let's call it 'talk' with Skulduggery. He brought up some very interesting points."

He kept staring at her.

"Are you using me, is this like some sick game to you. Is this all I am to you, someone to keep the Sanctuary of your back?"

Like in the Hibernian a year ago he was now mere inches away from he. He had closed the distance in an eye-blink.

He pulled her against him, as he did then. He hooked his arms round her waist. She revelled in the feel of the burning cold from his gauntlets and vambraces, it was counteracted by the delicious heat radiating from his chestplate.

He dipped his head, the bottom-half of his mask retracting, then his lips were on hers and everything he wanted to say he put into the kiss.

Her whole body was tingling he had an effect on her she couldn't control. She knew it was wrong, but, for once she didn't care.

She wrapped her arms round his neck, losing herself in the moment. His hands were trailing down south, and she loved it, the rough, possessiveness he was displaying.

And just like the Hibernian the moment was broken by someone.

He pulled away, once again looking off over her shoulder. Who was it this time? Tanith? Fletcher? Ghastly? Gordon? China? Ravel?

She turned to see echo-Gordon staring wide-eyed at the two. Vile lifted his hands from her, stepped back, nodded at her and disappeared.

Gordon rushed over to her, still visibly shaken. "That was Vile." He squeaked.

She nodded.

"Vile, with his hand on my niece." He squeaked again.

Valkyrie wanted to die her uncle had seen Vile running his hands all over her.

"Did he… hurt you?" He asked, his voice back to normal.

"No. I'm… fine." She responded.

"Fine, how can you be fine you saw Lord Vile? You know, destroyer of people."

She couldn't help but smile. "For a writer that wasn't a very fitting word to describe it."

"Stephanie, this is serious. You need to tell the elders, you need to tell Skulduggery."

Her face paled. "No!" She protested.

Gordon looked at her strangely. "Why?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"It's, it's…." She was sick of explaining herself. "I don't know."

"It wouldn't have anything with the fact that he quite obviously had his hands..."

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed, her face turning a violent pink.

"It's just that…"

"I know." She interrupted. "He slaughtered people, ripped them apart, but that was hundreds of years ago, he's changed."

He sighed. "I'm not your father so I'm not going to tell you what a horrible decision your making, how he could kill you in a heartbeat, kill anyone…"

"Get to the point." She said.

"But I'm your Uncle so be careful."

"I will." She nodded.

"Now if you would excuse me, I have a novel to write." He moved off, the silence was overwhelming.

She shoved her hands in her pockets, and encountered a lump of cold metal. She grasped it and pulled it out.

It was a Necromancer ring. Like her other one that Melancholia smashed, but laced with something white and shiny, something she'd never seen before. It was from him.

She slipped it on and felt the familiar sensation of her magic pour into the ring, for the second time. But this was different, she felt stronger…


	4. Chapter 4

**Who says romance is dead?**

She looked across the crisp, clear pond. The moonlight glinted off the many coins that were at the bottom. She picked up a smooth stone and skimmed it across the surface.

She sighed, glancing down at her watch. Again, he was late. She had been stood under this bridge for thirty minutes. She turned and was about to leave when the familiar whoosh of displaced air tickled the back of her neck. For a beat, she didn't turn around.

Vile pulled her towards him, dipping his head to kiss her. Oh no, he wasn't going to kiss her like nothing was wrong. She was tired of being stood up by him. She planted two hands on his chest and eased him away.

He stepped back, but said nothing.

"Did you even remember you were supposed to meet me last week? I waited for two hours. And that wasn't even the first time, was it? You've done it six times." She said, emphasising this point by hitting his chest with her open palm. At least he had the decency to cushion her hand with shadows.

She paused, collecting her thoughts. "This…this isn't working. You're not exactly the romantic type."

He merely cocked his head to the side.

"Do I need to spell it out?" She persisted. "I mean, I'd like you to do more than feel me up for half an hour. "

He nodded as if he understood, took a step forward, pulling her against him. He lightly brushed his gauntleted fingers through her hair before trailing down to the collar of her jacket. Keeping one hand at the nape of her neck, he slowly trailed his other hand down the front of her jacket, when he got to the zip he started to slowly slide it down.

She pushed him away again. "Not that. Why do all guys assume wanting more means sex?"

"Would it kill you to bring some flowers? Or chocolates? Just anything that a normal person would do."

He looked at her a bit longer before his armour bristled and he disappeared. Great, she'd pissed him off.

She decided to go home. She climbed through her window, gesturing to the mirror for her reflection.

"You were with him again." It stated simply.

"Yeah." She sighed.

"You want to talk about it?" It asked.

"No." She replied.

"I'll just look through your memories later." It said.

Valkyrie glared. "Fine. I would just like for him too be able to meet me without him feeling me up, or trying to get in my pants. It's tiring."

"Part of you wants it, though."

"No."

"I'm you, I know what you desire, the dreams you convince yourself were mere passing thoughts, the thoughts that run ravage in the back of your mind."

Damn, she wished she wasn't having this conversation with herself.

"Just get in the mirror." She grumbled.

"You know I'm right."

"Just get in the mirror." She said again.

Her reflection complied. She touched the mirror's surface, her reflection's memories mixing with hers. The day at university, picking up Alice from school, arriving home, eating dinner with the family, going upstairs to watch TV, watching herself climb through the window, and arguing with herself.

She watched a couple more hours of TV before calling it a night.

She woke to the sound of someone gently knocking at her window. She climbed out of bed, pulling on an oversized jersey. She padded over to the window, pulling back the curtain, revealing Vile crouched at her window.

She scowled, he'd woken her up at…she glanced at her digital clock, four am. He'd woken her up at four am. She opened her window, stepping back so he could climb in.

"What do you want?" She demanded.

He pulled some crushed black tulips from behind his back, along with a crumbled box of _Celebrations_.

She smiled, at least he made the effort.

"Thank you. They're lovely." She said, taking the flowers and chocolates, carefully placing the fragile flowers in a glass that was sat on her desk, and placed the box next to them.

He stood by her wardrobe, looking around her room. He looked uncomfortable and out of place.

"You can kiss me now." She said.

He moved over to her, his shadows swarming all over her. His lips crashed against hers, she let out a small moan as his tongue played across the roof of her mouth. She responded by lightly teasing the top of his tongue. He lightly stroked the side of her tongue with his.

She slung both arms round his neck trying to pull him closer. He wrapped his arms round her waist, pulling her midsection closer to him. He reluctantly pulled back. She tried to scowl but it melted into a shy smile when she felt him looking into her eyes.

Then he moved from her embrace, heading for the window.

"Stay." She said.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Two Vile's**

Valkyrie woke to find him sleeping peacefully next to her. She let out a contented sigh, pulling herself closer to him.

"Don't you ever take off your armour?" She mumbled into his chest.

She thought she heard him laugh.

As if to say 'don't need to,' he thinned his shadows even more, making them softer and warmer for her. She relaxed and burrowed further into his chest, chasing after the heat he was emitting.

Her phone beeped again. She let out a frustrated moan before pulling away. She reached to her nightstand for her phone.

She swiped her thumb across the screen, squinting at the sudden contrast from dim to bright.

A text from Skulduggery. _Get to the Sanctuary._

She threw her phone back onto the night stand and led back against him.

"I have to go." She huffed.

He tilted his head down to look at her.

"I _really_ have to go." She said.

"Screw it, so what if I'm ten." He gave her a slight squeeze. "Thirty minutes late."

After forty five minutes of her telling him about her recent investigations, the continuing search for him, the mysterious sorcerer who could give mortals magic, Silas Nadir, the other dimension she briefly visited, the Hammer Lane goal and its warden, Delafonte Mein. She finally decided to get out of bed.

He disappeared and she pulled on her dark clothes, touched her mirror to let her reflection out, ignored the jersey and university work scattered across the floor, and headed for her window. As she climbed into the frame her right arm started to ache.

She tried to shake it off. Not again, she thought as the ache grew more intense, until the world round her disappeared and she was falling, splashing into a puddle. She looked up and was met with the sight of the very old, dirty, poorly constructed houses.

Several mortals in mud brown clothes hurried past her. Like last time when she tried to call out to them they ignored her.

She kicked out at a barrel in frustration, splintering it.

She approached a woman when a man grabbed her shoulder. "You need to leave."

"What?" She asked confused.

"Leave now," he hissed. "Or the Redhoods will punish us. Didn't you learn from the last time you were here?"

"I'm sorry, I just appeared here."

"I don't care how you got here but you need to leave. You will get us killed."

"Please, just tell me where I am."

"Pageant Street." He said shortly.

"Thank you."

"I don't know where you're going just get as far away from us, if the…" The man visibly paled, looking off over her shoulder.

Valkyrie followed his gaze.

From east nine people, dressed in deep scarlet robes approached slowly, each armed with what looked like scythes.

"Redhoods." She breathed.

The man next to her bowed so low his face was nearly buried in the thick oozing mud that was the road.

Valkyrie quickly followed his example.

The man tried to say something but his words ended abruptly as the steel edge of a scythe sliced through his neck.

Valkyrie recoiled, falling backwards into the mud. Two of them grabbed her, hauling her to her feet and roughly shackled her.

_Twenty minutes later_

The Redhoods dragged her off the barge, approaching a huge structure made of steel, glass and stone. The sun glinted off the high windows, creating a rainbow on the floor before her. As they neared the huge oak doors they swung open as if they had built in sensors, revealing a huge hall, brimming with Redhoods, city mages and sense-wardens.

The Redhoods dragged her through the palace corridors. Weapons were dotted on each wall, perhaps relics from an ancient war. At every door along the sprawl of corridors stood a motionless Redhood, scythe drawn.

Finally the labyrinth of corridors gave way to a large ante room. The Redhoods threw her down and moved as one to the exit. She eased herself up, not easy when shackled, and looked round the huge chamber. Movement in the far corner drew Valkyrie's attention. She saw it was a woman clad in only sackcloth. Around her neck hung a rough length of wood bearing the Redhood insignia of two intertwined circles.

She stared at the woman.

_Eliza Scorn_.

"Hi Eliza." She called over to her.

"Diseased." She spat.

"Excuse me?"

"Your soul's diseased."

"Nice sack you have on today. Definitely you…"

"Stop…stop looking at me!" She screamed.

"Make me." She challenged.

The door through which the Redhoods left suddenly burst open and in strode a clean-shaven Baron Vengeous. His eyes roamed the room and settled on Eliza. He went to her side.

Eliza was squirming like an eel. "She's…she's…stop her looking at me!" She shrieked.

Baron Vengeous looked over at Valkyrie. Valkyrie returned his gaze levelly. Vengeous grunted, walked over and backhanded her violently, sending her sprawling to the floor.

"You will do as you're told or I will hurt you." He said.

She was about to respond when the main door swung open, revealing another open planned room. This room, however had a steaming black pool in the far corner. In the very centre was a simple wooden chair with some type of garments housed in a glass container behind it. Sat on the chair was an impossibly tall man. He was slender, with narrow shoulders, cropped hair, and pale yellow skin.

Vengeous grabbed Valkyrie's jacket and hauled her through the door. She stumbled forwards, landing painfully on her knees. Vengeous walked in behind her, falling to one knee and bowing his head slightly before standing upright.

The man in the throne looked at her. "Do you know who I am?"

She shook her head.

"Then my Redhoods were correct; you're not from here. Your clothes suggest as much."

"I am Mevolent."

Valkyrie's eyes widened.

"I see you've heard of me. Perhaps of the, er - terrible things I've done. So I'll save you the trouble of telling you what I'll do if you don't tell me everything I want to know."

She gave a nod to show she understood.

"Where are your friends in the resistance?"

"I don't have any."

"Don't insult my intelligence, girl. You came to our attention the last time you were here, and I'm sure you came to the attention of the resistance, also."

"I'm sorry, I don't know anyone from the resistance." She answered.

He merely sighed. "I try to be nice, I offer you a painless way out, yet you throw it back in my face."

He gestured and Vengeous grabbed her, hauling her to her feet.

Mevolent shrugged. "Now you suffer."

As Vengeous dragged her away a third man strode into the room; tall, silent, encased in shadows. Vile. He had come after her. He had found Silas Nadir and come after her.

But something was different. Vile leered at her and her heart sank; it wasn't the Vile she knew. This was the man from the war, worse than the man she knew.

He turned his attention to Mevolent and gave a slight nod, which was returned.

"I'll take her." He said, his voice gravelled and dark.

"She's mine to torture." Vengeous growled.

"Let me rephrase: I want her."

Vengeous confronted the Necromancer. "I will be the one conducting the torture, seeing as she was so rude to my wife."

"Baron, don't get into something you can't handle, I'll be taking her." He said calmly.

Vengeous eyes blazed as he stared daggers at the Necromancer. Vile met his gaze with an icy stare.

Vengeous blinked and looked to Mevolent for support.

"If you two want to fight over her then be my guest. Vile, when you kill him, clean up."

Vengeous muttered a string of curse words before pulling Valkyrie to her feet and shoving her over to Vile. Vile caught her around the midsection, stopping her falling to the ground.

He grabbed a fistful of her jacket and dragged her out of the room, throwing her ahead of him. He directed her through the maze of corridors with shadow shoves until they reached a simple dark wooden door.

He pushed it open and nudged her inside. All the room contained was a simple bed, several candles lighting the room and a small treasure of war relics dotting the back wall.

She looked back as he closed the door. She did not like were this was going.

He walked slowly over to her, unshackling her, throwing the irons to the floor. She rubbed her wrists and revelled in the feeling of her magic returning. She looked from her wrists to see him move in towards her. She shrank back as he approached, backing away until her heels met the wall.

"Please don't hurt me. I promise I don't know anything." She said, her voice already going weak.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Valkyrie." She answered.

He stepped closer, resting his forearm on her throat. "Here's how it's going to go, Valkyrie." He stated in that gravelled, dark tone.

"If you scream, or try to hurt me in any way, then I will hurt you, badly. Do you understand?" He said, illustrating this point by leaning on his forearm, cutting off her air supply for a moment before pulling back.

She nodded, trying to blink away the tears that were already budding. He placed a hand on the side of her face, running his gloved thumb almost tenderly under her eye, brushing away a stray tear. His other hand playing with the zip of her jacket, slowly tugging it down.

In one fluid movement he pulled her jacket off her, letting it pool at her feet. He raked his gaze over her, letting out a low, appreciative purr.

"It will go much better for you if you don't struggle." With that he started to kiss his way down her neck…

_A while later_

Valkyrie pulled on her clothes then curled up in a ball on the bed, tears slowly streaming down her face. It felt so wrong, it was him, and it wasn't him. She felt unclean, she felt worthless.

It was seared into her memory, how she whimpered and begged him to stop. How he forced her to her knees, then how he pinned her to the bed, he was rough with her as well.

She was waiting for him to return, or for the familiar ache to return. Two hours later he returned. She hoped he would leave her alone. Or just kill her.

He strode over to her and uncurled her from the ball she was in.

"Please, not again." She begged, her voice already hoarse.

Her arm started to ache.

He started to unzip her jacket.

The ache got stronger.

He pulled her jacket down her arms.

The ache was now throbbing up her entire arm.

She planted two feet on his chest and pushed him away, sending him stumbling backwards.

The world round her disappeared and she reappeared in the middle of Tanith Low's apartment. Valkyrie climbed onto the sofa, curled up into a ball and cried. This is where Tanith found her two hours later.


End file.
